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G; L. J. SIMPSON.

RIVER STEAMBOAT.

No. 374,635. Patented'Ded. 13, 18'7.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

GEORGE LOUIS JAMES SIMPSON, OF QUANAH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO NA NlE HOOKER SIMPSON, OF SAME PLACE.

RIVER STEAM BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,635, dated December 13, 1887.

' Application filed June 95, 1887. Serial Nojfliljlf. (NomodclJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LoUIs JAMES SIMPsoN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Qoanah, in the county of Hardeman and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in River Steamboats, of which the following is a specification.

Y My invention relates to an improvement in passenger and freight river steamboats; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an. elevation of a steamboat embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 isa vertical longitudinal central sectional view, of the same. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken on the line 00 0c of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line 3 y of Fig. l.

A represents the main deck, which is secured on the hull B in the usual manner, and projects beyond the sides and ends thereof.

0 represents the second deck, which is arranged at a suitable height above the main deck and extends from the stern of the vessel to within a suitable distance of the bow there-- of. This second deck is provided with a forward extension, D, which extends over the bows of the main deck, and has rectangular recesses or cut'awayportionsE in its sides and a similar recess or cut-away portion, F, in its front end, the said recess F being beveled outwardly on opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 3, I

This forms a central bridge, G, which connects the rear side of the extension with the front portion of the second deck, and forwardextending platforms H, which extend laterally from the front portion of the bridge, the said platforms and bridge being arranged substantially in the form of the letter T.

The sides of the second deck project beyond the stanchions or supports I,which connect it to the main deck, thereby making the width of the second deck equal to the width of the main deck. The said second deck has its central portion entirely cut away to form an opening, K, above the main deck, and across the said opening, at suitable distances apart, are arranged transverse bridges L. The stanchions M, which rise from the second deck, are arranged in the same vertical planes with thestanchions l, and the spaces on the sides of the central opening, K, in the'seoond deck, and between the sameand the stanchions M, form truckways N.

0 represents the third deck, which is supported on the stanchions M and is similar in length and width to the second deck. The said third deck is provided at its front end with an extension, P, which is similar to the extension D of the second deck, and is ar ranged over the same and extends forward over the bows of the main deck.

R representsa vertical elevator-way which extends from the main deck upward to the third deck, and is adapted to direct an elevator cage or car of the usual construction adapted to hoist freight from the first deck to which extends from the'opposit'e side of the said bridge L to the third deck near the front end thereof.

At each side of the bows of the boatis a mast orpole, X, which extends from the main deck up through the front portion of the platforms H of the extensions of the second and third decks. To each mast or pole, at a suitable distance from the upper end thereof, is connected the inner end of a swinging boom, Y, the outer end of which is connected to the upper end of the mast or pole by a stayin the usual manner. The said masts and booms constitute the derricks which-are employed to manipulate the stage-planks. The openings E in the sides of the extensions of the second and third decks enable the stage-plank to be raised orlowered to either the main, second, or third deck, as may be desired, according to the height of the bank atwhich the boat touches. .The openings F in the front ends of the extensions are made for the purpose of lightening the said extensions, and thereby avoid overloading the bows.

Heretofore, so far as Iam aware, the second and third decks of river steamboats have not been extended over the bows of the main deck, and, inasmuch as such steamboats load and unload from their bows, ithas been heretofore impracticable to extend the stage-plank from the second or third deck, and has thus entailed the necessity of carrying the freight to and from the shore directly onto the main deck. It frequently happens that the banks of landings are much higher than the main deck of a steamboat, particularly if at the time of making the landing the tide happens to be low. In such cases the stage-plank, if extended fro m the main deck, must necessarily be inclined at a greater or less angle, and

, thereby render the task of trucking the freight from the boat to the sh ore exceedingly difficult and arduous.

By providing the second and third decks of a steamboat with the forward extensions hereinbefore described and adapting the stageplank to be hoisted to either of the said extensions the stage-plank may be lowered from the second or third deck to the bank of the landing where freight is to be discharged from the boat, and thus cause the stage-plank to be inclined downward from the vessel to the shore, and thereby greatly facilitate the operation of trucking the freight over the stage-plank, and enabling a man to handle a much greater amount of freight than it would be possible to do if he had to wheel the truck up a stage-plank from the boat to the shore. These forward extensions of the second and third decks also serve an exceed- I ingly useful purpose when lading freight, as

after the main deck becomes loaded the freight may be wheeled in over the stage-plank onto the second deck, and from thence piled on the load on the main deck by reason of the central opening, K, which is formed in the second deck. The inclined stages or gangways which connect the decks adapt freight to be wheeled down them from one deck to another; but when the freight is to be hoisted from a lower deck to a higher one the elevators hereinbefore described are employed. This arrangement of the second deck will be found especially useful in steamboats which are employed in carrying bales of cotton. The first tier of cotton-bales may bewheeled directly in upon the main deck and arranged in position under the opening K, and the superincumbent tiers of cotton-bales will be wheeled in on the second deck and discharged from the truck-rails N and bridges L onto the cotton on the main deck and arranged thereon in the proper order, and thus adapt the vessel-to be loaded with cotton-bales from the main deck to the third deck uninterruptedly, and consequently greatly adding to the capacity of the boat. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A steamboat having the second and third decks provided with forward extensions 'arranged over the bows of the main deck, said extensions having the recesses Fin their front ends and the recesses E in their sides, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. A steamboat having the second and third decks provided at their front ends with extensions arranged over the hows of the main deck, the said extensions being provided in their sides with the openings E, through which the stage-plank may be raised or lowered, substantially as described.

3. A steamboat having the second and third decks provided at their front ends with extensions arranged over the bows of the main deck, the-said extensions having the openings or recesses F in their front ends to lighten the bows, substantially as described.

4. A steamboat having the second deck provided with the central opening, K, and the bridges L, arranged transversely over the said opening, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

5. A steamboat having the main, second, and third decks, the second deck being provided with the opening K, the truekways on the sides of the said opening, and the transverse bridges extending across the said opening, substantially as described.

6. A steamboat having the main, second, and third decks, the second deck being provided with the central opening, K, the bridges L, extending across the said opening, and the inclined gangways V and W, connecting the second deck with the main and third decks, substantially as described.

'7. A steamboat having the second and third decks provided with forward extensions which project over the bows of the main deck, the said extensions being provided with swinging derricks on the third deck, and openings E in the second and third decks, whereby the gang or stage planks may be raised or lowered through the openings E by means of the der ricks, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LOUIS JAMES SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

T. L'Ronsnns, RoBT. SAWYER. 

